Thermoregulated assembly for the distribution of warm meals within isothermal containers

Abstract: Thermoregulated assembly for the distribution in collective catering of warm meals within isothermal containers (15) having a tray (16) which incorporates a thermoregulation system including at least one electrical heating resistor (20). The distribution assembly comprises a transport device (1; 28) including, for each isothermal container (15), a support (5; 29), a multiple contact unit (9) cooperating with electrical contact means (26) of the isothermal container (15), and means for connecting the contact unit (9) to an electrical supply source.

Description: The present invention is related in general to isothermal containers for the distribution of warm meals, particularly but not exclusively in the field of collective catering, of the type comprising a tray made of a thermally insulating material provided with recesses housing therein respective vessels for containing foodstuffs, at least in part warm, and a cover made of a thermally insulating material detachably applied onto the tray. Isothermal containers of the above referenced type are presently manufactured and marketed by the Applicant: they provide the ideal solution to the various packaging and distribution requirements of single complete meals, further performing the function of a support when the meal is being taken. These containers are particularly advantageous whenever it is necessary to manage single meals in places which are decentralized from the food cooking installations, such as for instance in the case of hospitals, hotels, congress places, yards, camps, factories etc. Moreover, using these isothermal containers is also particularly useful in case of domiciliary assistance to elderly and non self-sufficient people, as well as of enterprises for the delivery of warm meals at purchaser's door. In all the above situations the thermally insulating construction of the container enables to thermally insulate from the outer environment the warm foodstuffs contained within the respective vessels housed in the tray recesses: however, when the time between cooking of the foodstuffs and delivery of the container to the consumer is long, there is the risk that the warm foodstuffs get cool, thus jeopardising the fragrance and the organoleptic characteristics of the food. This problem is particularly critical in case of collective distribution of the warm meal containers at a fixed time (for instance in case of a hospital), which is traditionally carried out employing a transport device (normally a trolley) for a number of isothermal containers which are to be one at a time distributed. In fact in this case, in order to preserve as much as possible the thermal characteristics of the warm foodstuffs it is necessary to optimise and coordinate with the best punctuality the cooking phase of the food and the distribution phase of the containers, with evident difficulties under the organising point of view. FR-A-2349112 (see preamble of claim 1) and FR-A-2391687 disclose a thermoregulated assembly of the above-referenced type, comprising a transport device of the isothermal containers, wherein the isothermal containers each comprise a respective thermoregulation system incorporated in the tray and including at least one electrical heating resistor operatively associated to at least one of said recesses and connected to terminal contact means accessible from outside of the container, and wherein the transport device comprises, for each of said isothermal containers, a support having a shape complementary to that of the container, a multiple contact unit cooperating with said terminal contact means when the isothermal container is fitted within said support, and means for connecting said multiple contact unit to an outer electrical supply source. According to FR-A-2349112, the transport device comprises a trolley having series of superimposed shelves defining a plurality of said supports. In the above-referenced known thermoregulated assemblies the electrical supply to the thermoregulation systems of the isothermal containers is provided by an external source to be electrically connected to the trolley. When the trolley is moved for distribution of the meals contained within the isothermal containers, which may also require a considerable long time, the trolley is disconnected from the electrical supply source and, therefore, the known assemblies can not warrant that the temperature of the food within the containers be kept strictly constant until delivery to the consumers. The object of the present invention is to give an efficient and functional solution to the above-referenced problem, and more particularly to provide an assembly for the distribution of warm meals within isothermal containers of the type set forth at the beginning, by means of a transport device enabling thermoregulation of the warm foodstuffs housed in the container so as to keep substantially unchanged the final cooking temperature thereof up to the time of delivery of the container to the consumer. According to the invention, this object is achieved by virtue of a distribution assembly of the above-referenced type, the primary feature of which is set forth in the characterising portion of claim 1. Additional features are recited in the dependent claims. Through proper sizing of the or each electrical heating resistor it is possible to avoid employing sophisticated control apparatus of the electrical supply, and to achieve a thermoregulation action - keeping the or each resistor constantly energized - so as the temperature of the warm foodstuffs is constantly maintained, during the distribution phase of the isothermal containers, at a value substantially not lower than about 65°C. Accordingly it is possible to keep low the manufacturing cost both of the isothermal containers and of the related transport device of the distribution assembly according to the invention. A further advantage of the invention resides in that the distribution assembly according to the invention may also be employed as a dish heating appliance, prior to introducing the warm foodstuffs into the respective dishes or vessels in general housed within the tray recesses. This further ensures a total organising flexibility between the phase of food cooking and that of delivery to the consumers. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the annexed drawings purely provided by way of non-limiting example, in which: figure 1 is a diagrammatic and somehow simplified perspective view of a thermoregulated assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention, for the collective distribution of warm meal isothermal containers, figure 2 is a partial vertically sectioned and enlarged view along line II-II of figure 1, figure 3 is a partially vertically sectioned view along line III-III of figure 1, figure 4 is a diagrammatic and enlarged perspective view of one of the isothermal containers of the distribution assembly, figure 5 is a front elevational view according to arrow V of figure 4, figure 6 is a vertically sectioned and enlarged view along line VI-VI of figure 5, figure 7 is a sectioned and enlarged view along line VII-VII of figure 6, and figure 8 diagrammatically shows the electrical circuit of the isothermal container. Referring initially to figures 1 through 3, reference numeral 1 generally designates a trolley which constitutes the transport device of the thermoregulated distribution assembly according to the invention. The trolley 1 consists of a sturdy metal support structure 2 provided with castor wheels 3 and carrying superiorly a framework 4 formed with a series of superimposed shelves which, according to the shown example, are simply constituted by pairs of horizontal angle bars 5. The shelves 5 are arranged, in the case of the shown example, according to three side by side columns 6a, 6b and 6c. Naturally the conformation and arrangement of these shelves 5 may be widely varied as a function of the use demands. In correspondence of one side of the shelves 5, the framework 4 of the trolley 1 is provided with a corresponding series of latching walls 7a, 7b and 7c which are displaceable between a closed position, shown in the drawings, and an open position. These latching walls may be conveniently equipped with positioning members for steady locking thereof in one or in the other position, as well as with spring push members (not shown in the drawings) facing towards the interior of the shelves 5. On the opposite side, the framework 4 carries three struts 8a, 8b and 8c each of which is provided, in predetermined positions with respect to the levels of the respective shelves 5, with a corresponding series of multiple contact units 9, all of which are electrically connected to a main control unit 10. In the case of the shown example, each contact unit 9 is constituted by a triad of electrically conductive pins, horizontally sliding against the action of respective thrust springs (not shown in the drawings). The main control unit 10 is intended to control supply of the multiple contact units 9 from a direct current electrical supply source. This source comprises a rechargeable accumulator battery 11 and associated power supply device 12 and transformer 19, fitted within a central container 13 of the trolley 1. The power supply device 12 is adapted to be connected to alternate current mains via a feeding cord 14. The control unit 10 is extremely simple, since it is solely comprised of an operation display and of a switching device through which separate or joint supply of the various contact units 9 associated to the three struts 8a, 8b and 8c can be controlled. The shelves 5 are intended to receive each a respective isothermal container, of the type generally designated as 15 in figures 4 through 7. It is to be pointed out that the isothermal container 15 shown in the example might be replaced by containers of a different shape, provided that same are conceptually and functionally similar. The container 15 has a general structure of known type, since presently manufactured and marketed by the Applicant under the trade name "Eurotherm TS-50": for the sake of brevity, the detailed description thereof shall thus be limited only to the novel and peculiar features. The isothermal container 15 is constituted by a tray 16 having a thermally insulating construction, provided with recesses 21 (figure 6) variously arranged for housing therein respective vessels 22 containing foodstuffs, at least in part warm, by a cover 17 also having a thermally insulating construction and covering the tray 16 for the major part thereof, and by a further transparent cover 18 defining a neutral compartment with the remaining portion of the tray 16. As it is shown in better detail in figure 6, both the tray 16 and the cover 17 are constituted by a shell 16a, 17a made of a shock-resistant and scratch-resistant plastic material for foodstuff use, formed by blow-moulding and filled with a thermally insulating foamed polyurethane 16b, 17b, respectively. The cover 17 is detachably applied on the tray 16, and latching means, not shown, may also be provided for the mutual locking thereof. According to the invention, the isothermal container 15 is distinguished over those currently manufactured by the fact that it comprises a thermoregulation system incorporated within the tray 16 and adapted to be electrically supplied by the transport device, i.e., in the case of the embodiment disclosed herein, by the supply source 11-12-19 of the trolley 1. This thermoregulation system comprises at least one electrical film resistor 20 applied beneath the bottom of a corresponding recess 21 containing a respective vessel (dish or cup) 22 for a warm foodstuff. In the case of a Mediterranean diet meal, the tray 16 normally incorporates (as in the shown example) two such resistors 20: it is however evident that different arrangements are comprised within the scope of the present invention. As it is shown in better detail in figure 7, the or each heating resistor 20 is arranged between two thin bi-adhesive material sheets of which the upper one, indicated as 23, is securing the resistor 20 under the bottom of the recess 21, and the lower one, indicated as 24, is adhering to a protective sheet 25 of cardboard or like material. Figure 8 shows the wiring diagram of the thermoregulation system, assuming that two heating resistors 20 are employed: the circuit simply comprises electric wires connecting the resistors 20 to respective terminal contacts 26, constituted by conductive elements placed on the surface of one end of the tray 16. A third identical conductive element 26 is connected to a pair of display LEDs 27, arranged at the opposite side of the tray 16 (figure 5) and intended to display the energized condition of the respective resistors 20. The circuit may further comprise auxiliary capacitors and resistors, not shown, operatively associated to the LEDs 27. The position and arrangement of the terminal contacts 26 is such that, when the isothermal container 15 is positioned onto a respective shelve 5 of the trolley 1, these contacts 26 come into electrical contact with the triad of contact elements of the respective contact unit 9. Electrical connection is ensured on one hand by the spring push members (not shown) associated to the contact elements of the contact unit 9 and, on the other hand, by the presence of a front wall 39, shown in detail in figure 2, associated to each shelve 5 and whose function is to perform proper positioning of the isothermal container 15 upon the respective shelve 5. This positioning is further ensured, during transportation of the trolley 1, by the movable walls 7a, 7b and 7c previously disclosed. In operation, after the isothermal containers 15 containing warm meals have been lodged onto the respective shelves 5, the trolley 1 can be transferred for distribution thereof to the consumers, maintaining the foodstuff temperature at a substantially constant value, not lower than 65°C. To such effect it is sufficient to activate through the control unit 10 the thermoregulation systems of the isothermal containers 15, thus energising the respective heating resistors 20 through the battery 11. In case of stops (and also possibly during a preliminary pre-heating phase of the foodstuff vessels 22), electrical supply of the resistor 20 may also be performed by a mains through the cord 14 and the transformer 19. During thermoregulation phases, the proper operation of the resistors 20 is displayed by the LEDs 27 of each container 15.

Claims: Thermoregulated assembly for the distribution of warm meals within isothermal containers (15) comprising a tray made of a thermally insulating material (16) provided with recesses (21) housing therein respective vessels (22) for containing foodstuffs, at least in part warm, and a cover made of a thermally insulating material (17) detachably applied onto the tray (16), said distribution assembly comprising a transport device (1) of the isothermal containers (15), wherein said isothermal containers (15) each comprise a thermoregulation system incorporated within the tray (16) and including at least one heating resistor (20) operatively associated to at least one of said recesses (21) and connected to terminal contact means (26) accessible from outside of the container (15), and wherein said transport device (1) comprises, for each of said isothermal containers (15), a support (5) having a shape complementary to that of the container (15), a multiple contact unit (9) cooperating with said terminal electrical contact means (26) when said isothermal container (15) is fitted within said support (5), and means for connecting said multiple contact unit (9) to an electrical supply source (11), said transport device comprising a trolley (1) having series of superimposed shelves (5) defining a plurality of said supports, characterized in that the electrical supply source comprises a rechargeable accumulator battery (11), a power supply unit (12) and a transformer (19) installed on board of the trolley (1). Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises resilient thrust means between said multiple contact unit (9) and said terminal contact means (26). Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the isothermal container (15) is further provided with display means (27) of the energized condition of the or each electrical heating resistor (20). Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the trolley (1) is provided with a control unit (10; 33) of said multiple contact unit (9). Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one electrical heating resistor (20) is a film resistor and is fitted beneath the bottom of a corresponding recess (21) of the tray (16) of the isothermal container (15). Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each shelf (5) of said trolley has positioning means (39) of a respective isothermal container (15); a respective multiple contact unit (9) being associated to each shelf (5), and the multiple contact units (9) being connected to said common electrical supply source (11) via a main control unit (10). Assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that releasable latching means (7a-7c) of the isothermal containers (15) are associated to said superimposed shelves (5).

Inventors: MONETTI GIOVANNI, MONETTI, GIOVANNI
Applicants: MONETTI SPA, MONETTI S.P.A.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A47J39
IPC codes: A47J39